Zinga, a frozen yogurt chain based in San Francisco, Calif., has opened a new location in Front Royal, Va., The store is owned by franchise partner Debra Wood, a restaurant-trained business professional with three decades of experience to her name. The store is located at the Royal Plaza Shopping Center.
California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) was recently named a consumer favorite in a Market Force Survey of 7,000 consumers. CPK, featured in the May issue of Digital Chain Pulse Magazine as a leading pizza chain among peers, scored 5.48 in the survey to take the top spot among competitors in the casual dining pizza sub-segment. CPK bested the Old Chicago and Pizza Ranch chains in the process. Janet Eden-Harris, SVP, Strategy, for Market Force, says...
There are salsas in North Carolina that are singing to the tune of a new “fiesta.” The salsas at Salsarita’s, metaphorically, may be invigorated by its new ownership and management of the brand. Phil Friedman, its new chief executive, acquired the chain in June 2011. Larry Reinstein joined Salsarita’s at around the same time, bringing a fast casual background with him, with high-level roles at the Fresh City chain and the Souper Salad chains. “We acquired an underutilized brand….
The Quaker Steak & Lube casual dining chain recently expanded in Columbia, South Carolina, part of focused franchise growth in the Carolinas. The opening in Columbia, in partnership with the franchisee who developed Greenville, is an opportunity to further broaden the footprint in the Southeast. John Longstreet, chief executive of Quaker Steak, says the Columbia opening was successful and the unit has been popular with the community there. Its wings and sauces have been a fan favorite and won several awards for the chain...
Boston’s sustainable, digital media and marketing services firm launches Restaurant News App™ with ‘Pizza Trends & Marketing’ issue. BOSTON ─ Kandessa Digital announced it will release the May Digital Chain Pulse Magazine issue on Restaurant News App™. The “informed, inspired” foodservice publication for industry management focuses on pizza trends, spotlighting the Papa Murphy’s and California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) chains, marketing trends and the new Pizzeria Industry Council, which is backed and sponsored by the National Restaurant Association (NRA).
Sonic has added two senior-level executives to its franchise development group. Bob Franke and Thomas Kessler join the team, signaling a new focus on expanding the brand in the United States and globally. Bob Franke has been named senior vice president of franchise sales and international development; while Kessler has been tapped as senior director of franchise sales.
Papa Murphy has recently out-competed other highly-regarded top quick serve and full-service chains in the restaurant industry to take the number one spot in the pizza industry, according to Consumer Brand Metrics. In some categories, the competition was unparallel; in one other, it actually trailed. In the end the score of 65.4 percent in Consumer Brand Metrics was enough to beat out all other competitors, regardless.
Today, consumer sentiment still mirrors those expressed by consumers surveyed in California last year. Data from Technomic suggests that consumers see more value in the prepared food options in retailers. Not surprisingly, a total of 49 percent of those surveyed say that traditional supermarkets offer more value than limited- or full-service restaurants (LSRs or FSRs). Just forty-one percent are saying traditional supermarkets offer the same value...
The influence of Millennials in driving drinking trends and the importance of digital drink marketing cannot be ignored. The group, which already controls $240B in spending across all retail and consumable channels† is key to growing a drinking environment. The resources are out there and the IWSB 2013 (International Wine, Spirits and Beer) Event is a good place to start seeking additional insight to maximize drinking trends. George Barton, co-founder of Barton & Dronkers Consulting Groups, took time out from preparing for the education seminar he's participating in,“The Expanding Crafts & Brewer Innovations to Create New Opportunities in Beer,”
Flavor innovation is in the frozen yogurt playbook. From Greek Yogurt, to indulgent treats, like Carrot Cake and Red Velvet, to lighter, citrus-like flavors, frozen yogurt chains are constantly revamping offering to keep guests coming and to stay relevant. Menchies announced a popcorn flavor recently: Pop-arazzi Popcorn, a blend of sweet and salty, is an indulgent taste that is bound to be nostalgic. Pop-arazzi Popcorn may soon replace top flavors like Dulce de Leche...
